Bill Cosby: Himself

Filmed in Ontario just prior to his career rebirth with the landmark sitcom The Cosby Show, this 1983 concert documentary presents one of the kings of American comedy in a memorable one-man production. Bill Cosby serves up rich riffs on familiar subjects (communication hiccups within the family, the inevitable chasm that marks generation gap issues, the dangerous pursuit of off-limit refrigerator goodies), a few unlikely topics (including his intense views on alcohol and drug addiction), and offers a detailed description of a nerve-jangling visit to a dentist's office that ranks among the funniest comic monologues ever captured on film. Surprisingly, much of this standup comedy is performed sitting down; yet Cosby brilliantly uses his body language and facial expressions to turn his ordinary seat into a throne of masterful comedy. Cosby has been absent from the concert scene for so many years that this two-decades-old production inspires as much rue as guffaws--seeing him in his original element makes us miss the comic genius who brought laughter with clean language, clever observations, and a raconteur's rapier wit. If there is a drawback here, it's the dull cinematography coupled with editing that is sometimes so clumsy that it feels as if it was spliced together with rusty scissors and sticky tape. But if you can overlook the technical limitations, Bill Cosby: Himself still shines content-wise. Unfortunately, aside from a trailer, the DVD contains no extras. Highly recommended (P. Hall)